A Facebook community page 'Narendra Modi for PM' boasts of 9,37,692 likes.

With the Lok Sabha elections approaching, G

With the Lok Sabha elections approaching, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's social media team has become hyper-active. And it is not just about cyber activists posting their opinion and lavishing praise on Modi and taking on his critics. Many have even initiated community web publications, compiling news and analysis published across media.

"The cyber campaign - started before the 2007 assembly polls through the BJP IT Cell - used to be a more centralised process. But the structure has evolved into a more decentralised and amorphous one over the years," said Shashiranjan Yadav, the former vice-chancellor of Kutch University and architect of the BJP's cyber campaign in Gujarat in 2007.

"Now a large number of net-savvy BJP party workers and sympathisers are actively campaigning on cyber space largely on their own," he added.

While, formally, the BJP is stopping short of declaring Modi the prime ministerial candidate, a huge campaign for him has already begun on social media.

A Facebook community page 'Narendra Modi for PM' boasts of 9,37,692 likes, while his official Facebook page has been liked by 14,88,527 people.

The activists' work, aligned with the party's political campaign, assumes extra significance since a recent research by IRS Knowledge Foundation and Internet and Mobile Association of India has revealed that out of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, 160 are likely to be highly influenced by social media.

Do You Like This Story? Awesome! Now share the story Too bad. Tell us what you didn't like in the comments